My fear of horses first kicked in (pardon the pun) when I was 13, after a girl in my class was killed in a terrible riding accident. She had been galloping across Hayes Common in Bromley, Kent, when her horse bolted into the road and they were both hit by a lorry. When our form teacher announced the news, a strange kind of hysteria set in. It doesn't take much to send teenage brains into … [Read more...] about From fear to love: an equine epiphany
leadership
Finding my voice: the journey of a lifetime
The human voice can express itself in so many ways – on the outside and the inside. Your speaking voice. Your singing voice. Your tone of voice – both vocal and written. Your inner voice – your intuition. The voices in your head – from the inner critic to the inner champion. We speak of “finding our voice” even if we’re already articulate. And we talk of “giving someone a voice” if they … [Read more...] about Finding my voice: the journey of a lifetime
What stories do you tell yourself about being a leader?
When I first became aware of Nick Williams a couple of years ago, I remember reading that he was running a six-month leadership programme. I was intrigued but thought to myself, "It's not for the likes of me - I'm not a leader." At the time I was happy to stay in the background, dipping my toe in the Inspired Entrepreneur waters by attending evening events, then scuttling away again. But … [Read more...] about What stories do you tell yourself about being a leader?
Why it’s important to share your authentic leadership story
You may have heard of Sheryl Sandberg. She's the COO of Facebook and in 2010 she was invited to give a talk at TED - the conference where thought-leaders share their one big idea. She decided to call it Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders. "I was planning to give a speech chock full of facts and figures, and nothing personal," Sandberg recently acknowledged. So far, so predictable. Had she … [Read more...] about Why it’s important to share your authentic leadership story
A birthday story about reaching grandmother age
Let's play a numbers game. I was born in 1957. I am 57 years old today. Two of my grandparents were born in 1900, so they were 57 when I was born. I have zero children, therefore zero grandchildren. Yet I have reached grandmother age. What does this mean? I am indebted to my friend Mary Ann Mhina, who recently published a beautiful book of interviews with older women, Listening to our … [Read more...] about A birthday story about reaching grandmother age
Would you don the invisible cloak of leadership?
According to Lao Tzu, the father of Taoism, a leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it all ourselves. I resonate with this idea of collaborative leadership that empowers others. But I don’t expect old Lao Tzu would have imagined that his wisdom might also apply to women, who I believe are particularly skilled at … [Read more...] about Would you don the invisible cloak of leadership?